Sixteen people have been indicted in connection with two separate gun rings allegedly operating in East Harlem, authorities said Friday.

“Gun traffickers are bringing violence to our neighborhoods by selling illegal firearms – they are at the root of the problem of gun violence in this City,” said District Attorney Cy Vance. “These are the most significant gun trafficking investigations in Manhattan in recent history, both in terms of the number of illegal gun traffickers taken into custody, and the sheer volume of illegal guns removed from the streets.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said many of the illegal weapons came from out-of-state.

“Many if not most were purchased in South Carolina and found their way here and many were in the hands of teenagers before the NYPD engaged in the very dangerous business of making the undercover gun purchases that got these weapons off the streets,” Bloomberg said.

The suspects are charged with multiple counts of criminal sale of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, conspiracy and other charges.